A COVENTRY man has gone on trial accused of throttling his wife to death in front of their children after finding her in bed with her lover.

Mohammed Rasel Ahmed, aged 29, of the Butts, is accused of murdering his 25-year-old estranged wife Hasna Begum on December 20, 2006.

At Warwick Crown Court yesterday, prosecutor Christopher Millington said: "The defendant forced entry into the home of his estranged wife. He caught her having sexual relations with her boyfriend Shitab Ali in an upstairs bedroom.

"Mr Ali escaped from the house. The defendant attacked his wife, and after a struggle throttled her with a piece of electric cable. As a result she suffered severe brain damage and died in hospital the following day."

Mr Millington said Ahmed admits unlawfully killing his wife, but denies murder. He says Ahmed claims he had not intended to kill her or cause serious injury and that it was manslaughter on the grounds of provocation.

Hasna married Ahmed in 1999 and the couple, who had a six- year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, lived in Jesmond Road, Hillfields.

In the autumn of 2006 Ahmed moved to a flat above the restaurant where he worked, and petitioned for divorce on the grounds of Hasna's unreasonable behaviour.

Mr Millington said Ahmed had hoped for a reconciliation with his wife but on the night she was killed received a phone call from her lover Shitab Ali.

Ahmed claimed the call was made to taunt him and he went to the house in Jesmond Road. Mr Millington said: "On the bed, naked, were his wife and Shitab Ali.

"Ahmed shouted: 'I've caught you. You're dead'."

The jury heard Mr Ali left the house, as Ahmed smashed the window and climbed in.

Hasna fled to the children's room, but he followed her and attacked her in front of their children.

He then left and took his son to the home of a friend nearby, but got no reply and took him back to the house as Mr Ali, who was hiding in a garden, called the police.

They were also called by Ahmed, and when officers arrived and spoke to him he claimed he had caught a man in the house trying to kill his wife.